Stone-curlew roosts at Winterbourne Downs

This weekend is the last of the Winterbourne Downs stone-curlew walks.

The walks, lead by Community Engagement Officer, Lindsey Death, have been a big success, with demand greater than spaces available. But although spaces on the walks are now fully booked, for anyone who is keen, there is still time to see them!

This is the third year in a row that we have a had a stone-curlew roost on the reserve – a group of post breeding birds that have gathered together before they head back to their wintering grounds in Northern Africa. The birds can start gathering as early as July, and tend to hang about until late September or in to October. This is the ideal time to view stone-curlew as there is no risk of disturbing breeding birds. They are also far less cryptic and secretive once they have finished breeding (although still tricky to see!) and can be present in quite high numbers – up to 70 stone-curlew in some roosts, although our roost here is rather more modest , with currently just six birds.

The birds are viewable from the screen and along the nature trail, and have been roosting during the day either on the stone-curlew breeding plot, or along the back fence line in the arable field opposite the carpark. Admittedly, they are not the easiest of birds to find, so you might want to follow some of these viewing tips if you are heading out to look for them yourself:

• Be patient – stone-curlews are expert at hiding and are very well camouflaged.
• Use a telescope if you have one, they will be much easier to pick up, although you should still spot them with binoculars.
• You are looking for a bird roughly the size of a jackdaw, but with much longer legs.
• Try to look out for their big yellow eye or their yellow beak.
• The birds have been roosting in the arable field (currently stubble) opposite the carpark – take your time scanning along the back fence line as they have often been seen here. Good spots to do this from are the car park and from several gaps in the hedge along the nature trail.
• From the viewing screen you can see the stone-curlew plot (a rectangular cultivated area in the grass field just beyond the arable field) roosting birds on the plot tend to stick to the left hand edge, near the bottom corner.
• Later afternoon/early evening may be a better time to look for the birds as this is the time they will start to become active in preparation for their night of feeding.
• Listen out for their eerie, curlew like call. If you are struggling to find them, this may give you a clue to where they are lurking. They are more likely to call late afternoon/early evening.
• Remember, although they have finished breeding they are still sensitive to disturbance, so please don't do anything that might spook them.

Due to the popularity, we will very likely be running the stone-curlew walks again next year, so do keep an eye on the Winterbourne Downs webpage, or the RSPB events pages, where you will also find all the other great events we hold during the summer!